


Front Porches

by arrafrost



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: M/M, Pack Bonding, Relationship Problems, Spoilers for Season 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-03
Updated: 2013-07-03
Packaged: 2017-12-17 14:56:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/868829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arrafrost/pseuds/arrafrost
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles understood. He did. Little sister thought dead comes back and she’s the only family he’s got now… Stiles understands. He just doesn’t understand how that makes him insignificant. He couldn’t comprehend how Derek could see him as useless, as someone who couldn’t help his pack now that his sister had returned. He didn’t understand how he suddenly meant nothing to Derek.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Front Porches

**Author's Note:**

> originally written on [tumblr](http://arrafrost.tumblr.com/post/53009969048/front-porches-sterek-fic) about two weeks ago
> 
> I told myself I wasn’t going to write Cora until after more of the season revealed her personality but… had to take advantage.

"Why do I even try with you, Derek? You don’t listen to anything I have to say!"

"Stiles, you’re a kid. You need to realize that I know better than you."

"Oh! Oh really! That’s a laugh, Derek. Understand this: You almost get yourself killed all the damn time because you don’t listen to me! Right now, your sister is a trap! They’re using her against you and you’re blind, Derek! You’re ready to jump in there without a plan just like you did with Boyd and Erica and how well did that turn out?"

Derek growled, stepping closer and crowding into Stiles’ space. Stiles didn’t back down, he stood up straight and met Derek’s height, eyes matching the fierce gaze even if they couldn’t glow red. 

"She’s my sister, Stiles. I will  _not_ abandon her."

"I’m not telling you to!" Stiles snapped, “But you have to have a plan and guess what? If you listen to me for five fucking seconds you could hear mine. A plan that doesn’t get either of the last two Hales-"

"Three."

“ _No one asked you, night-of-the-living-dead!"_ Stiles growled, shooting a deadly look to Peter Hale who was sat on the steps, ease dropping again. He raised his hands up defensively but kept his smug smirk and continued to eavesdrop. 

"Now, I have a plan. Am I loud and clear or is my voice breaking up in those stubborn ears of yours?"

.  
.

That was the first argument, the first time Derek started to stop trusting Stiles and the first time Stiles didn’t want to try to protect Derek anymore.

The second time was worse.

.  
.

"He doesn’t need you anymore." 

"Huh?" Stiles honestly hadn’t been paying attention. He was too busy mapping out how they could infiltrate the alpha pack’s new hide-out. They didn’t have much time now that they’ve kidnapped Isaac… they couldn’t lose him. Not after everything he’d been through.

Cora was sitting on the table next to Stiles’ paperwork that was spread everywhere. He hadn’t noticed her come back from training with the others although he could still hear Derek, Scott and Boyd at work.

"Derek doesn’t need you anymore," Cora stated simply, matter-of-factly, as though it should have been obvious to Stiles all along.

"What are you talking about?"

"You’re bad for him."

"I’m his lucky charm."

"You’re not like us."

"I’m not a werewolf, I know-" Stiles rolled his eyes. He really didn’t have time for this kind of thing and he certainly hadn’t expected Cora to be like this, not after he helped save her life.

"Not just that. Derek has a family. Me. He doesn’t need you or Scott. I’ll help him with the pack."

"You know," Stiles laughed, pushing his papers aside and stretching back in his chair, “this whole protective little sister thing is cute, really. I’ve never had a sibling before so I don’t know how it works. It’s sweet but it doesn’t change-"

"I’m not being cute,  _Stilinski._ " That was another thing… she never once called him by his nickname. “I’m serious. You can leave. Now."

Stiles narrowed his eyes, “I’m not leaving, Derek. Whether you believe it or not, he needs me."

"You’re wrong."

Stiles rolled his eyes before turning back to the paper work, he did not have time for this.

Cora’s hand came down on the papers, “Go ask him."

Stiles glared up at her and she simply smirked like the smug teenager she really was. “Fine, I’ll ask him. If that will make you feel better."

Which Stiles did. He confronted Derek about what Cora had said and that resulted in a long and exhausting fight concerning his sister and how she was family. How she wouldn’t say things like that and Derek defending his sister to the bitter end. Stiles understood. He did. Little sister thought dead comes back and she’s the only family he’s got now… Stiles understands. He just doesn’t understand how that makes him insignificant. He couldn’t comprehend how Derek could see him as useless, as someone who couldn’t help his pack now that his sister had returned. He didn’t understand how he suddenly meant nothing to Derek.

Stiles drove away in his jeep that day, slamming the door and speeding down the driveway only to pull over ten minutes down the road because he couldn’t see through the tears. 

.  
.

"Stiles?" 

He didn’t answer. He didn’t turn around either. Stiles was sat at his desk, working on his school assignments because that’s what a sensible teenager that wasn’t involved with a wolf pack did. 

"Hey, Stiles." Derek sat on the window sill even though Stiles was sure he’d been locking his window for the past two weeks.

"Come on, please talk to me." Derek’s voice soft, apologetic but Stiles didn’t hear an apology, wasn’t even sure he would listen to one if Derek offered.

Stiles refused to stop working, wouldn’t turn around, wouldn’t talk to him. He didn’t deserve it. They were better off if neither of them said anything, ever.

"You haven’t answered my calls."

Stiles had deleted and blocked Derek’s number from his cell and told his dad not to let Derek know he was home if he called. That was a fun conversation… listening to his father defend Derek and tell him that he should at least talk to him.

_"Cora is more important, Stiles!"_

"Or my texts."

_"She’s my sister, my only family! You’re just some kid that fell into this mess."_

Derek stepped forward into the room and Stiles gripped his pencil tighter as their last argument echoed in his mind. He replayed it so many times he had it memorized. 

"Please Stiles… I-"

_"I don’t need you here telling me what to do!"_

The pencil snapped in half, the sound shattering the tense silence of the room. 

"Don’t. Derek. Just don’t. I can’t have this conversation again. You made your feelings explicitly clear the last time we talked. Cora is more important and I’m… I’ve never been important."

"Stiles, you don’t under-"

"I understand. She was your kid sister. Before the fire, you had a family. You had everything but it was taken away and now one piece of that happiness has come back. It’s important. It’s really important. If my mom came back I… I understand. I’ve thought about it a lot. I would devote my time to her… my mom, if she ever came back. She won’t. She never will. But if she did, I wouldn’t have abandoned you because of her. I want you to know that before you leave. Because… I want you to leave."

Stiles stared straight ahead, glad his back was turned to the alpha standing in his room even though he knew Derek would be able to smell the salt water.

"You need to leave because when you’re here I can’t lie and tell myself that I don’t need you. I do… more than I like to admit but you… you’re better off if you go. Please Derek, you found your place now just let me be lost and we’ll call it a day."

"Stiles-"

"Go."

Stiles didn’t breathe until the footsteps were no longer in his backyard and when he finally did exhale it was a loud and painful sob. He bent over his desk, pounding his fists onto the desk as his tears soaked the homework.

He woke up four hours later, eyes red, paper stuck to his face and he didn’t think the dull ache in his chest would ever go away.

.  
.

A week later Stiles came home to a girl sitting on his bed, glaring at him like he was the enemy.

He stood in the doorway of his bedroom, holding Cora’s gaze, waiting for her to say something, to attack him, to leave, anything as long as it meant she would make the first move.

After a long moment, she sighed, ducking her head with a low growl. “I was wrong."

Stiles said nothing, simply looked at her. Not moving, not speaking, just staring.

"I said I was wrong."

"I heard you."

"Then why didn’t you say anything?" She snarled.

"Because what I think doesn’t matter."

Cora gritted her teeth, standing up but not moving closer to Stiles. “He’s miserable! As soon as we got Isaac back he came straight here to you, I could smell you on him when he got back but he… he wasn’t his usual self. Ever since that night he hasn’t been the same. He still does things. We’re still planning to get the alphas out of here, he’s still protecting us from them but he’s not-"

She inhaled sharply, leveling her gaze with Stiles, “He needs you back."

"No, he doesn’t."

"I just said-"

"I don’t care." Stiles snapped. “We’re done. We’re over. That’s it."

"All because of a silly argument? You’re going to throw it all away because you had a spat? You think I would up and leave if Derek yelled at me? No, we’ve been through things. A lot of things that you wouldn’t-"

"Understand?" Stiles stepped forward, anger surging in his veins. “You’re not the only one who’s lost something. You’re not the only one who has been beaten and tortured and broken. Stop comparing scars! Yours might be bigger but that doesn’t make them more important!"

The two stood there in the tense atmosphere, both refusing to stand down. It was a long time before Cora’s shoulders dropped slightly and she softened her gaze. 

"You still care about him."

Stiles’ gaze shifted slightly, “Of course I do. But he doesn’t-"

"He does. He cares. I don’t know why," she added bitterly, “but he does. You’re important to him, more important than I thought."

Stiles sighed, shaking his head as he walked past Cora to his desk where he dropped his bag. He rummaged through it, locating his homework for the evening and started setting things up, ignoring Cora until he heard the tell-tale creak of his window sill.

"Just… come see him. Talk to him." Stiles had thought she’d left, silent and agile like the small thing she was except she spoke again, “Please." And then she was gone. 

Stiles fell onto his chair, head in his hands, “Fuck…"

.  
.  
  
"Stiles?"

Stiles’ hand stopped from where he was about to knock on Derek’s bedroom door. Of course the alpha would smell him… he never failed to do it any other time. Why would he stop recognizing Stiles after a couple weeks?

His hand trembled slightly as he reached for the doorknob. It had taken a lot to show up. His drive here took three times longer than it should because he kept pulling over and turning around before setting himself straight. He couldn’t avoid talking to Derek forever. 

The door swung open, the room was dark, musty, and Derek was sitting upright on his bed. The emptiness of the room was familiar. The stale air and the sadness Stiles felt just from walking in wasn’t.

"Hey…" Stiles spoke softly, “why um… aren’t you on the lawn with the others?"

"Cora’s training them, it’s fine."

"Of course…" Stiles nodded.

"I didn’t mean Cora is better-"

"Derek," Stiles stopped him, shaking his head, “It’s fine. I don’t have anything against Cora. I never did. I mean, I was jealous but only when… only when Cora said that you didn’t need me and only when you confirmed that."

"I didn’t-"

"You did."

Derek lowered his head, shoulders slumped, “I didn’t mean it."

"But you said it."

"I’m sorry…"

Stiles felt the prickling pain at his eyes and immediately he looked up, blinking rapid. “Yeah, I know."

"It’s not going to fix it, is it?"

The sad laugh on Stiles lips broke him, the smell of salt was in the air and Stiles thought he could compose himself better than this. “No, no it’s not."

"I want to fix it."

Stiles frowned, trying to form the words on his tongue but there weren’t any and it was only making the tears fall faster.

"I want to go back to how it was…"

"I don’t," Stiles choked out.

Derek stopped breathing and shifted on the bed, “What?"

"Derek," Stiles shook his head, trying hard to convey what he meant, “we were drifting. We weren’t working before. We would have fallen apart eventually."

"Then why can’t I put us back together?"

"Because we’re not a children’s fable!" Stiles yelled, forcing his tears back. 

Stiles breathed in the silence, pursing his lips and digging his nails into his palm until he could think clearly again. Except he could hear Derek moving on the bed. 

His tone was painfully soft when he spoke, “You’re important, Stiles."

"Derek-"

"You matter."

"Stop."

"I need you." The bed creaked loudly and he could hear feet on the ground but Stiles kept his eyes closed tightly.

"It’s not going to-"

"I  _need_ you, Stiles. You. You are important to me and I can’t live without you."

"Derek, no. You can’t, you can’t fix this-"

"Why can’t I?" Derek’s voice was close, too close. Stiles wanted to back up but he didn’t have the willpower to do so.

"B-because you’ve already said I wasn’t."

"I’m unsaying them."

"You can’t do that."

"I’m replacing them with new words." 

"Derek-" Stiles’ voice broke as he suppressed a sob, “that’s not-"

"I love you."

Stiles’ eyes snapped open, his face going pale as the tension in his expression fell away. Only his lip began to quiver, his head shaking the tiniest bit and his eyes, his eyes staring at Derek with disbelief. “You can’t… you can’ say that Derek. You can’t."

"Why can’t I?"

"It’s not the instant fix. ‘I love you’ isn’t a magical phrase that puts everything back together!"

"But it’s true."

"Like hell-"

"Stiles," Derek cut him off, leaning closer so Stiles had no choice but to look into his eyes… those serious hazel eyes. “I. Love. You. I’m sorry about what I said before. It wasn’t true. I was being a selfish, uncaring asshole and you didn’t deserve that. But I love you and I want to make things better."

Stiles pursed his lips, shaking his head no until Derek’s hand pressed against his clenched fist. His warm hand covered Stiles’, never once breaking eye contact as the boy’s hand loosened enough for Derek to tangle their fingers together. Derek gave a reassuring squeeze.

"I won’t let you be lost, Stiles."

That was it. Stiles broke. Tears streamed down his face as he breathed out in broken sobs and all the while, Derek wouldn’t let go of his hand.

.  
.

It was a warm day, warm enough that they pack could be outside working on the house. They were finally making repairs to the old Hale house and it was coming along rather nicely. 

Stiles was out front, nailing another post to the porch when Isaac and Scott ran by him, both trailing their paintbrushes across his back and down his arms.

"I am going to kill you both!" He raised his hammer into the air threateningly but didn’t move to run after the laughing betas that were now flicking paint at each other as they tumbled around the lawn. 

For the life of him, Stiles couldn’t figure out why the two strong betas were painting the inside of the house while Stiles was building a porch. At least Boyd was working on the roof, that made sense. Cora and Derek were also working together to repair the inside of the house now that all the outer walls were stable. 

"They’re cute, those two." 

Stiles jumped at the female voice behind him. Stupid small werewolves and their sneaking abilities, he grumbled under his voice and all Cora did was raise her brow because he knew she could hear him.

"Yeah, wasn’t expecting that." Stiles turned back to watch Isaac and Scott wrestle the paintbrushes from each other’s hands and shrugged, “But things happen."

"They do…" Cora nodded, walking up to stand next to Stiles on the porch. “Like you and Derek happened."

"Well that was more of a gradual thing and we’re still…we’re still working through some things."

"I know," Cora bit her lower lip, “Some of it was my fault."

Stiles looked at her through the corner of his eyes, “Wow, an apology!"

"That wasn’t-"

"In Hale terms, it kind of was. I’ve spent enough time around Derek and Peter to know."

Cora snarled slightly at the mention of her uncle’s name but rolled her eyes at the rest of the comment.

"You work," She eventually shrugged. “You shouldn’t work… but you do and, if my big brother is happy with you than I’m going to have to suck it up."

"Sweet of you."

"I’m serious," Cora smiled slightly, “You’re a good person, Stilinski. If you hurt him when he doesn’t deserve it though, I’ll hunt you down and claw out your insides."

"I don’t doubt that." Stiles nodded, eyes wide because werewolves were fucked up in the head and he knew what they were capable of. 

Cora grinned, teeth showing as she walked backwards down the steps to run out and join the boys where they Isaac was now climbing onto Scott’s back to retrieve the paintbrushes that were dripping everywhere.

"She means it." Stiles tensed instantly at Derek’s breath on his neck.

"Seriously! Werewolf ninja skills need to stop around Stiles! I will have a heart attack before I’m legal!"

Derek pressed a chaste kiss against Stiles’ neck and he felt him smirk. “You’ve handled worse."

Stiles rolled his eyes, sinking back into Derek’s embrace as he watched Cora dive to take out Scott’s legs and all three of them crashed onto the grass, paint flying all over the place.

"They are going to destroy the shower."

"Want to get there first?" Derek grinned, nibbling a spot on Stiles’ neck that made his toes tingle.

"Let’s just… let’s just sit here and watch them for a bit." He snuggled back into the alpha’s arms, breathing in the scent of Derek that was slightly clouded by the paint fumes.

Days like this were good. Days like this made everything seem normal again. Made Stiles believe that maybe their lives were starting to make sense. There were still scars to be healed but Stiles thinks they can get by just fine like this… all of them, together.


End file.
